Geronimo Gutierrez, Mexico's Ambassador to the U.S., admits "there are people that have criminal backgrounds" in the migrant caravan, although he was skeptical about a Department of Homeland Security estimate there are more than 500 of them, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.
Gutierrez explained "we share the opinion that there are people that have criminal backgrounds in that group" but emphasized "I just don't think there's enough clarify about what those numbers come from."
He added "we work together very closely with the United States through different mechanisms to look at people that are moving through our region, and I think that's positive because it allows us to identify individuals that might have a criminal background."
Asked if he agreed with President Donald Trump's description of the caravan as an invasion, Gutierrez said, "I wouldn't categorize that as an invasion. I think, nevertheless, there's a lot of concern, and I can understand why the president and other people here are concerned about what is going on."
He stressed "I think that it just points to the fact that there's a very significant need to address legal changes here in the immigration system and certainly also in Mexico. And I think that it's important, my focus is on having improved cooperation between Mexico and the United States and the Central American countries to address regional migration."
Gutierrez said the U.S. and Mexico "are not quite there" when it comes to "achieving a favorable status quo," but "we are in better shape, I think, in the overall bilateral relationship than where we were two years ago."
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